Can-FiteBioPharma Ltd. (TASE:CFBI) today announced that it has begun preparations for the Phase III clinical trial of its flagship drug, CF101, for the treatment of psoriasis. Three weeks ago, the company announced that the Phase II trial of CF101 for this treatment was a success. If the Phase III trial is successful, the company can apply for marketing approval of the drug for this treatment.

In the Phase II trial, CF101 in 2 mg dosages was found effective in treating psoriasis. This dosage was found to be statistically significant most effective of the three dosages administered during the study. [...] Can-Fite CEO Pnina Fishman said, "CF101 is unique for treating psoriasis, because it is given orally, and its safety and effectiveness profile are impressive."Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Adi Ben-Israel @ Globes)

vendredi 25 septembre 2009

Israeli researchers have developed a protein-based injection that can spark the regrowth of tiny blood vessels, offering hope of an alternative treatment to the hundreds of thousands of people undergoing open-heart surgery every year.In heart disease, blood vessels are either clogged or die off, starving the heart of oxygen and leaving it highly vulnerable to a cardiac attack. Open-heart surgery, though it carries many risks, is now a frequent treatment for heart disease. At present, in the US alone, some 700,000 people undergo open-heart surgery annually according to the American Heart Association.

In their groundbreaking research, Dr. Britta Hardy and her partner Prof. Alexander Battler of Tel Aviv University developed a protein that can be injected straight into the muscles of the body, triggering the regrowth of tiny blood vessels in just a few weeks. "The biotechnology behind our human-based protein therapy is very complicated, but the goal is simple and the solution is straightforward," says Hardy. "We intend to inject our drug locally to heal any oxygen-starved tissue."Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: ISRAEL21c) Anti Boycott Israel blog: chirurgie cardiaque, diabète

Prolor Biotech Inc. (Bulletin Board: PBTH) (formerly Modigene) is set to begin the Phase I clinical trial of its flagship product, a long-acting human growth hormone drug, hGH-CTP. The trial will be conducted at the Sourasky Medical Center - Ichilov Hospital in Tel AvivProlor had earlier said that it hoped to complete trial before the end of 2009 and complete the Phase II trial by mid-2010. Prolor president Shai Novik said that the trial is on 24 healthy individuals to test the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the drug.

hGH-CTP aims to provide growth hormone deficient adults and children with the option to replace the multiple injections per week that are currently required with a once-weekly or bi-monthly injection.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Gali Weinreb @ Globes)Anti Boycott Israel blog: hormone de croissance Prolor Biotech

mercredi 23 septembre 2009

An Israeli professor makes sure that kids in Uganda get protein with their greens in a unique project to reintroduce carp to the area. For the past four years, Professor Berta Sivan of Hebrew University has led a project near Lake Victoria in Uganda to help families raise fish to feed their families again.

About 50 years ago, the Nile Perch was introduced into Lake Victoria and it ate most of the smaller fish, like the carp that made up a significant part of the diet of the nearby villagers. Villagers had neither the equipment nor the expertise necessary to start fishing the huge Nile Perch.

The results were immediately visible in the children. In the absence of their sole source of dietary protein, many began to suffer from malnutrition. Sivan's team applied techniques developed over many years for Israeli carp and adapted them to the African carp. After spawning carp on Ugandan fish farms and teaching the villagers to dig and fill ponds and raise the small fish, carp have been successfully reintroduced into the local ecosystem and the children have an abundant supply of protein to eat with their fruit and vegetables.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Harvey Stein @ ISRAEL21c)Anti boycott Israel blog: pisciculture introduire la carpe en Ouganda

If the product is approved for marketing, IBA and Aposense will set up a joint marketing network for it. IBA will primarily focus on marketing of the molecule to radiologists in its core PET imaging and nuclear medicine market, and Aposense will market it to the referring clinical specialist market, including neurologists, oncologists, and cardiologists.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Gali Weinreb @ Globes)Anti Boycott Israel Blog : imagerie médicale

dimanche 20 septembre 2009

A veteran and an immigrant Israeli combine their talents to help save victims of conflict with LifeBond - a sticky new sealant that closes wounds and stops bleeding. Living in Haifa during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, entrepreneurial biomedical engineers Ishay Attar and Orahn Preiss-Bloom were horrified by the rockets landing nearby and the television images of bleeding victims. It seemed to them that existing methods for "sealing" injuries were inadequate to cope with complex shrapnel wounds.

samedi 19 septembre 2009

Dr Suheir Assady is the first female Arab physician to head a medical department in Israel. Just a few months ago, Dr Suheir Assady was appointed to head the Nephrology Department at the Rambam Health Campus in Haifa. As the first Arab woman in Israel to attain such a position, she is breaking the glass ceiling twice.

"When you are curious and you love what you are doing you succeed," says the charismatic young doctor, adding "... it doesn't matter if you have treated 100 patients already or a 1,000 - every patient is a new challenge. Either for diagnosis or treatment ... the challenge is to do things properly and discover new things. I am a dreamer, so to make all my dreams come true - this is my challenge."

At Rambam, the staff is completely integrated, with a representation of Arab physicians commensurate with the numbers in the population. Assady comments: "At Rambam we can be very proud that 16 [women] hold very good positions ... a lot of residents and doctors are women - 30% so I am in a good league."Source: article de Nitsana Bellehsen @ ISRAEL21c

The QS World MBA Tour is returning to Tel Aviv. Some of the world’s top business schools will be looking to recruit MBA students at a fair to be held on October 4 at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers. Among the business schools taking part in the event are Toronto-Rotman, HEC Paris, IE Business School, Manchester, Duke, and UCLA. The event will give an opportunity of meeting admissions officers from these and other leading schools.

Asked why the fairs attract so many prospective students, QS managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli said "It is the perfect chance to make an impression face-to-face with the very people reading your application forms, and that is invaluable to gain an edge in this tough field. The QS World MBA Tour provides the best step in the application process, the opportunity to ask intelligent, tailored questions on topics like personal fit, career opportunities, school specializations and financial aid." The QS World MBA Tour offers $1.6million worth of scholarships during the Fall 2009 season. The scholarships, for top business schools including Wharton, Chicago and Cass, are available to people who attend the fair.Source: Globes

[...] BioSpace has developed a new technology, called SpaceGuard, which separates tissue using a balloon made of biodegradable material. The product creates a space between a tumor and the nearby healthy tissue. The first application of the product is for prostate cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. Separating the tumor from healthy tissue makes possible a higher radiation dose in a shorter period, while minimizing the radiation level to the surrounding healthy tissue, since they are further away.

The SpaceGuard balloon is also used in orthopedics, as an implant in the shoulder of patients with massive tears in the muscle and tendon. The implant acts as an artificial bursa, minimizing friction between the bones and the surrounding soft tissue and stops the acute reaction associated with the massive tears. BioProtect has successfully completed a trial of the implant in 24 patients in Slovenia, and has begun a trial in Israel. BioProtect co-founder and OrthoSpace CEO Shaul Shohat said, "The shoulder trial results demonstrated the multiple uses of the technology."Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Shiri Habib-Valdhorn @ Globes) Anti Boycott Israel blog: cancer de la prostate, orthopédie

jeudi 10 septembre 2009

Biopharmaceutical company Immunovative Therapies td. is seeking to raise $2 million after receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start human trials for its anticancer drug. To date the company has raised $4.5 million.The company, which is located in the Misgav Technology Center, develops bone marrow/stem cell transplant procedures to cure advanced cancers that do not respond to other treatments.

dimanche 6 septembre 2009

Local companies struggle to gain footing with NASA, not for money but for reputation, they explain. A number of Israeli hi-tech companies have expressed a growing interest in providing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with components to be launched into space, something they appear to be willing to go to great lengths to achieve.

[...] some Israeli companies have managed to secure the desired deals. Sital Technologies, a private company from Kfar-Saba, is one that can boast a NASA collaboration. One of their products is currently used in the NASA LRO satellite, which was launched two months ago in order to scan the surface of the moon. Sital's component relays data from the satellite's radar to its laser unit, a project achieved by the company after NASA initiated contact with it in 2005. Sital's Marketing and Sales VP Duli Yariv said testing of their product lasted three years and that the deal wasn't particularly lucrative, amounting to only several thousands of dollars. "Money isn’t the main issue here. Working with NASA allowed us to bolster other projects and led us to collaborations with companies which produce communications, photography and meteorology satellites as well as combat aircrafts," he said.

LeukoDx, a company which produced a device used for conducting blood tests in space, is currently in contact with NASA while their product undergoes advanced testing. It has already completed a space simulation. In this case too, the company isn’t expected to profit large sums of money from the deal."What we'll be getting from NASA is funding for the continuation of the research which will enable us to build another set of similar products," said Julien Meissonnier, chemical engineer and LeukoDx's CEO.

Another Israeli company, Simbiotech, which focuses on energy production and operates in Ashkelon, landed a NASA contract for the production of gas from seaweed. Negotiations on a contract lasted over a year, during which the deal was almost canceled due to the Gaza offensive. "During Operation Cast Lead a NASA delegation visited us right when a Qassam rocket landed near the Ashkelon power station. We were prevented access to the site for three weeks but eventually the visit was held and ended successfully," Professor Ami Ben-Amotz, a scientific advisor in Simbiotech, said.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Eyal Bason @ Ynet News)NASA to launch Israeli technology: First Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to be launched Wednesday includes technology developed by Kfar-Saba based Sital company. 'This is proof Israelis are preferred over competitors around the world,' management says

Brainsway is currently conducting a number of clinical trials in parallel to test the effectiveness of Deep TMS for treating several diseases. Brainsway Ltd. (TASE:BRIN) has obtained EU CE Mark certification to market its Deep TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) for the treatment of depression. Deep TMS has been developed to treat a range of neurological disorders by non-invasive therapy. In October 2008, Brainsway obtained CE Mark certification to market Deep TMS for the treatment of manic depression (bipolar disorder) in the EU following the success of a clinical trial for this indication.

Brainsway is currently conducting a number of clinical trials in parallel to test the effectiveness of Deep TMS for treating several diseases. In April, it announced a trial of the device to treat cocaine addition with the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, a unit of the National Institutes of Health. Yesterday, the company announced preliminary good interim results for Deep TMS for the treatment of Parkinson's disease conducted at Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer, in Israel.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Adi Ben-Israel @ Globes)Anti Boycott Israel blog: maladie de Parkinson stimulation magnétique transcrânienne, addiction à la cocaïne, dépression Brainsway sees good interim results in Parkinson's trial

mercredi 2 septembre 2009

An international group of researchers in the GenoMEL project, of which Israel is a partner, has succeeded in identifying genetic and environmental risk factors for developing melanomas that are shared by a population from Europe and Australia. Pigmentation risk factors include fair skin, blue or green eyes, blond or red hair, sun sensitivity or inability to tan, "each associated with an approximate doubling of risk," the researchers showed. Initial results are in and have been published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Among the targets of the GenoMEL consortium are: development of shared resources and activities; identification of new susceptibility genes and understanding the role of these genes in tumours; and investigation of genotype/phenotype interaction and gene/environmental interaction for known susceptibility genes. GenoMEL, which stands for Genetic and environmental determinants of melanoma, is a five year project, scheduled to end in 2010. It is funded by the EU at EUR 10.45 million. GenoMEL is being led by the University of Leeds in the UK. Partners include Tel Aviv University in Israel and universities and research centers in the US, Spain, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, Australia and France.Source: ISRAEL 21cAnti Boycott Israel blog : mélanome

Suspect Detection Systems Inc. (Bulletin Board: SDSS), a developer of proprietary counter-terror and crime prevention technology designed to identify threats in real-time, has signed a seven-digit contract with a federal agency of a major country to deploy the company's Cogito rapid interrogation system at a border crossing. Cogito is an automated system for identifying hostile intent by suspects within 5-7 minutes during an interrogation. The proprietary system can be set up at checkpoints, border crossings, crime scenes, and other locations, with the goal of identifying terrorists and criminals. The technology detects the hidden 'hostile intent' of assailants - before they commit their intended acts - with a remarkable degree of accuracy. The system can also be used after a crime has been committed to quickly identify criminals from among a pool of suspects.

Suspect Detection Systems CEO Shabtai Shoval said, "Our system was designed specifically to aid in the apprehension of terrorists and criminals at border crossings. We have worked tirelessly to develop a comprehensive system that can accurately identify suspects at any time of day or night, without the aid of experienced interrogators. We are confident that Cogito will contribute to a safer, less porous border."Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Ron Steinblatt @ Globes) Anti Boycott Israel blog : lutte contre le terrorisme, criminalité

An Israeli invention that is an outgrowth of NASA science may look like a pair of sci-fi goggles, but it can get you firmly on your feet again. Becoming unsteady on your feet is a natural part of aging. It can also be caused by a stroke or diseases like Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who can walk, but are afraid of falling, a new Israeli invention that was developed from NASA science might be just the thing to get your toes tapping, with no fear of losing your balance.

The Gaitaid device was developed by Medigait, a company founded in 2008 by Prof. Yoram Baram from the Technion Israel Institute of Science. It was perfected during a period of research that lasted 11 years, some of which was commissioned by NASA to improve helicopter navigation. When Baram first learned that tiled floors can help people who are unsteady on their feet to improve their step, he merged that information with his NASA research and the idea for Gaitaid was born.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Karin Kloosterman @ ISRAEL 21c)Anti Boycott Israel blog: maladie de Parkinson, gériatrie, équilibre, sclérose en plaques

When they needed a non-electrical, state-of-the-art device to facilitate communication in the MRI room, top US companies turned to Israel for the solution. We rely on electricity to power up most of our communications devices, but in some environments a different solution is required. On an oil rig, one spark can lead to a destructive inferno. And in a hospital MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) room, electrical interference disrupts both scanning and communications equipment.

Optoacoustics of Israel has what it describes as the only system available that enables effective communication in interventional MRI environments. With its device that uses the power of light to deliver sound, medical professionals can work smoothly and quietly during procedures and converse easily with both technicians and patients. Since medical intervention using MRI scanners is increasingly common, the need to communicate with patients during procedures is becoming ever more important.

"It [MRI] gives off no radiation, unlike CTs and x-rays, and the resolution is high," says Yuvi Kahana, CEO of Optoacoustics, who runs a slim and trim crew of seven based in Or Yehuda, near Tel Aviv. Founded in 2006, the self-funded company has optical-based communications systems in about 250 centers around the world that help to sync brain imaging and speech.

Turning to Israel for solutions : That's why, when faced with a serious need, companies like Siemens and the MD Anderson Center and organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) approached the young Israeli company with a request to design a fiber optics communications device that would work in a "noisy" MRI room.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Karin Kloosterman @ ISRAEL 21c)

mardi 1 septembre 2009

Israel, once in the poorhouse, has turned the economic tables upside down on the United States, known to European and Russian Jews a century ago as the "Goldene Medina." Hundreds of thousands once were inspired to sail to the shores of America in the belief that its streets "were paved with gold," but Israel today has become an economic model for the United States, according to the widely popular American financial website CBS MarketWatch.com website.

The latest economic figures indicate that the Jewish State is more economically independent than ever and less reliant on Uncle Sam.

"The Jewish state unwittingly supplies America with sobering food for economic thought,” wrote Amotz Asa-El, a veteran Israeli journalist, in a column for CBS MarketWatch. He said that Israel, which barely dipped its feet in the treacherous recession waters, now is an economic model for the sluggish United States.Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu @ Arutz Sheva)Anti Boycott Israel Blog: l'économie israélienne est un modèle pour les US

There were improvements in specific motor functions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation biotech company Brainsway Ltd. (TASE:BRIN) reported interim results from its clinical trial at Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer Hospital, which is studying its technology as a treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Preliminary results show that the treatment has not shown side effects, except for slight and passing headaches among some patients. At the same time, there were improvements in specific motor functions. The results are statistically significant, though the relatively small number of patients (about 27) and the differences among them makes it difficult to estimate the clinical significance.Lire l'intégralité de l'article »(Source: article de Shira Horesh @ Globes)Anti Boycott Israel blog: maladie de Parkinson stimulation magnétique transcrânienne